I subscribe to the University of California's youtube channel for educational purposes, but found this yesterday and thought some of you would enjoy it.

I don't listen to orchestra's, but this performance was brilliant and sounded absolutely fabulous through my Paradigm monitor 9 computer speakers; I can only imagine what it would sound like through some Axioms.

Anyway, here you go .

Cheers,
Cam

Wow, such a wonderfully large number of performers. The live experience must have been very powerful.

I thought the same thing, Murph; very impressive.

Oh yes, I have a question-does a maestro actually do anything? I mean, I really don't see how an orchestra wouldn't be able to play without one. I know he has something to do with the tempo of the music, but I really think that I could sit up there and wave my arms around, even if it was a paroxysmal muscle spasm, and the orchestra would do just fine.

Can anyone explain this to me?

A conductor is to an orchestra what a pianist is to a piano. He is the one translating the intentions of the composer into instructions for the musicians. Classical music is not single-tempo, single dynamic. Tempo can change every bar and the possible ways to attack each note varies greatly. It would not be possible for a large ensemble to agree on how to play.
The main role of the conductor happens during preparing and rehearsals. The performance itself is the rendering of 100s (when not 1000s) of tiny decisions from the conductor (who can, of course, listen to suggestions from the musicians).

and then ignore them or take full responsibiliy for how good it sounds

I'm still grade school level when it comes to classical but the above is very true. This is why when the more educated in classical refer to a particular piece or CD, they always include the conductor in the title. One conductor's version of the same piece can sound very different from another. You may even enjoy one persons conductor's interpretation and totally despise another.

I do hear you though Cam. Musicians do often seem to be totally ignoring this strange man wailing his arms about but then you will see some performers staring intently, especially when they are currently silent but waiting for their cue to begin. Like tempo, timing in general is a big responsibility of theirs.

EDIT:
Ha, Jay. You sniped me with your quick comment before I finished typing. I agree the musicians should get equal cred. Perhaps if there just wasn't often so many of them.....

EF's answer is great, but I'll expand on it...

Absolutely. Does a sports team need a coach? Why can't the players just go out and, well, play? For the same reason that an orchestra needs a conductor.

The conductor is the leader. Just like everything else, when a group of people are trying to accomplish a shared goal, it helps if someone is the leader. The conductor guides the performers through the piece of music. The individual musicians all have tremendous talent, but someone has to control that talent and guide it to produce the orchestral work. The conductor also plays the roll of an "interpreter" of the piece of music. Interpreting what the composer desired. And that's were a lot of a conductor's genius comes into play. Different conductors will run an orchestra through the same music in entirely different ways; controlling the tempo (speed), volume, and emphasis on different instruments through different movements.

And on a less esoteric level, you also have to understand that sometimes as an individual musician in an large orchestra, it can be difficult to hear the "big picture". The conductor, out in front of all of the instruments, can hear the combined output of the entire group. (S)He will hear that the oboe's are a bit too loud, or that the 2nd violins are a little too quiet, or that the timpani is just a little bit ahead of the beat; and (s)he'll issue commands (via that arm-waving) to adjust individual sections (or individuals) accordingly.

Thanks guys, very informative.

And here I thought it was something I could do

Oh! Conducting involves a LOT of bowing down... Might prove challenging for you!

Would a bad conductor be called a resistor?

Further more, is how good a conductor is measured in Siemens?

Cam, just finished listening to/watching the entire performance. Not bad(very good baritone soloist), but this may have been your first exposure to the piece, and you should realize that there are several CDs(and a couple DVDs)available with performances and sound that would probably impress you even more.

Eric and Peter answered your question about the significance of the conductor well, and many classical compositions are available in over a hundred different recordings, largely although not entirely due to the different interpretations the conductor applied to the same written score. I have several CDs of the same compositions(including Carmina Burana)for quite a few items in my collection and some have dozens of performances of their favorites, each being different enough to bring a new enjoyment.

What did astonish me was your statement that you didn't listen to orchestral music. Naughty Cam! There's a whole world of great music out there waiting for you to give a listen.

I went to the Halloween Midnight Concert put on by the Wake Forest University Symphony Orchestra. It was 95% for fun and was quite enjoyable. Recorded music would come on the loudspeakers as each section walked out as a group to take their seats. For example, the theme from "I Love Lucy" came on as the Bass section walked out and the theme from "Deliverance" came on when the Woodwinds walked out. Anyway, some of the Timpani came out like Carolina Panthers Football players complete with Referees.

JohnK will have to help me out here - at one point in the performance they began to play the piece that has the "Olympic Kettle Drums" (don't know what that is) in it. The Referee stood up blowing his whistle and threw a penalty flag at the Conductor. Everyone was caught off guard and the place fell silent. Penalty was Delay of Orchestra. I thought it was pretty clever and all the students were cracking up.

I would have thought the theme from Deliverance would have been played when the orchestra's Banjo section walked onstage...

John, this is my preferred orchestra.